Everything is in the title ! I usually use Syanoacrylate (superglue) to make a finish on wood handle : stabilize the wood and protect it quite well from my experience. I was just wondering if it could be used in a professional kitchen without any problem, or if I should choose another product to protect the wood from fat water and everything else. Thanks in advance! Olivier
I don't see why not. You really just want something that will fill any tiny voids or cracks and coat the wood to prevent bacteria from entering it.
A couple of years ago, I installed a wooden countertop for a customer, she did some research and gave it a few coats of mineral oil. It made the wood look great. , and it won't go rancid over time. One drawback is you should apply another coat at least every few months, preferably every month.
I use pure white mineral oil on non-stabilized woods. The oil is found at IKEA (Skydd I think it's called) and is sold as chopping board oil.
I put IKEA cutting board in the kitchen for all the countertops. I used their recommended oil which was less than satisfactory. I eventually went to tung oil, which required a re-application in about 6 months, followed by annually after that. I'm really happy with it.
Mineral oil will not air harden like tung oil or boiled linseed oil. Soak the wood with mineral oil and seal with tung oil and buff.
Is the extra step of soaking the wood in mineral oil worth it, in that case ? could a simple tung oil finish be enough ?
I think how much effort will depend on the wood. Some woods I don't apply a finish, just buff to a shine. Blackwood, Ironwood, Cocobolo etc. One of the limitations of pure tung oil (the kind you want for food safe items like salad bowls and knife handles) is that it doesn't penetrate very well on its own. You can thin it with something like turpentine (mmm turpentine) which helps is soak in, but now it's no longer food safe. Check the product labeling. This stuff has 55% mineral spirits and 0.2% Cobalt 2-Ethylhexanoate. https://www.minwax.com/document/MSDS/en/027426475007 If the product says "wash hands after using" it's probably adulterated. Lee Valley sells pure tung oil. http://www.leevalley.com/en/garden/page.aspx?p=20049&cat=1,190,42942 What I do for, lets say maple or birch, is soak the handle in pure mineral oil overnight. Skydd in a paper towel wrap works. Wipe dry and then seal it with a few light applications of pure tung oil. Each application gets a little heat gun action to speed up drying and a buff on a clean cotton wheel. I have some knives in regular use for fours years that seem to agree with this method. Is it worth the extra day? I can't say. I hope so. Dan
Thanks a lot for that answer ^^ The handle will be made of brazilian Mahogany so I'll take the extra measure of precaution. I've never had the opportunity to work with tung oil before (lindseed oil a few times, but never tung oil). How durable is the finish ? Do we need to re-apply a few coats one in a while ?
I used this stuff on my first and only kitchen knife handle, and on the blade before wrapping it for transportation. https://www.amazon.ca/Howard-Products-BBB012-Butcher-12-Ounce/dp/B004G6X0J2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1510718772&sr=8-1&keywords=Howard's+cutting+board+oil Food grade mineral oil with vitamin E.
